120. If a person enters janÁbah by a forbidden act, and then engages in lawful sexual intercourse, the obligatory precaution is that he should not offer prayers with his perspiration. However, if he first engages in lawful sexual intercourse, and then commits the forbidden act, his perspiration will not be treated as the perspiration of a person who has entered janÁbah by a forbidden act.
121. The perspiration of a camel which is habituated to consuming human feces is najis based on obligatory precaution, and the perspiration of every other animal which is habituated to consuming human feces is ÔÁhir, although prayers may not be offered with either of them.
122. There are three ways of establishing the najÁsah of any object:
1. One should be certain or satisfied that the thing is najis. If one suspects that something may be najis, it is not necessary to avoid it. Accordingly, there is no problem in dining at restaurants and coffee shops where care-free people, and people who do not observe ÔahÁrah and najÁsah, go to eat, as long as one is not certain or satisfied that the food being served is najis.
2. The person possessing the item says that it is najis, provided he is not accused of being a liar. For example, if the wife, or a servant, or a maid says that a particular utensil or any other object which is in her possession, is najis, it will be accepted as najis, provided she has not been accused of being a liar.
If two just persons testify that a certain thing is najis, rather if one just person, or a trustworthy person who may not be just, says that an item is najis, one must refrain from that item as long as there is no reasonable doubt contrary to his statement.
123. If a person does not know whether a thing is ÔÁhir or najis out of ignorance of its ruling—for example, if he does not know whether blood is ÔÁhir or not—he should inquire about the ruling. Additionally, as long as he has not inquired about it, he should act with precaution. However, if despite knowing the ruling, he doubts whether the item is ÔÁhir or not—for example, he doubts whether a substance is blood or something else, or knows it to be blood, but does not know if it is the blood of a mosquito or a human being—it is ÔÁhir and he does not have to inquire about it.
124. If a thing was initially najis, and then one doubts whether it has become ÔÁhir or not, it will be considered najis. Conversely, if a thing was initially ÔÁhir, and then one doubts whether it has become najis or not, it will be considered ÔÁhir. Additionally, even if it is possible for him to find out whether it is najis or ÔÁhir, it will not be necessary for him to investigate.
125. If a person knows that one of the two vessels or dresses that he possesses is najis, but does not know which one in particular is najis, he must refrain from both of them. However, if he knows that either his own dress is najis or a dress which is not in his possession, he does not have to refrain from his own dress.
126. If a ÔÁhir item comes in contact with a najis item, and if either or both of them are so wet that the wetness of one reaches the other, the ÔÁhir item will become najis. However, if the wetness is so minimal such that it is not transmitted to the other item, the ÔÁhir item will not become najis.
A great number of renowned scholars have stated that an item which has become najis will unconditionally make other items najis. However, this ruling is problematic—wherein it touches non-qalÐl water or other liquids—in cases other than the first medium, and therefore observing precaution by avoiding it, should not be forsaken in items which touch the second and third najis medium.
127. If a ÔÁhir item comes in contact with a najis item, and a person doubts whether one or both items were wet or not, the ÔÁhir item will not become najis.
128. If a person does not know which one of two items is ÔÁhir and which is najis, and does not know them to be originally najis either, then if a ÔÁhir item which is wet comes in contact with one of them, it will not become najis.
129. If a ground, cloth or anything similar contains wetness through which najÁsah is transmittable, then every part of it—containing the wetness—which comes in contact with a najis item will become najis, while the other parts will remain ÔÁhir. The same applies to cucumbers, melons and similar items.
130. Whenever syrup, ghee or a similar fluid is aqueous enough, such that removing a portion of it does not result in the formation of an empty area, the entire fluid becomes najis the moment a part of it becomes najis. However, if it is viscous enough such that it leaves behind an empty area when a part of it is scooped out, though it may get filled later on, then only the part which comes in contact with the najis item becomes najis. For example, if the feces of a mouse fall into such a liquid, then only the part wherein the feces fell becomes najis, while the remaining liquid is ÔÁhir.
131. If a fly or similar insect sits on a thing which is wet and najis, and then sits on a thing which is wet and ÔÁhir, the ÔÁhir thing becomes najis if the person knows the fly to be carrying najÁsah. If he doesn’t, it remains ÔÁhir.
132. If a part of one's body which is perspiring becomes najis, all those parts to which the sweat reaches, will also become najis. The parts which do not come in contact with the sweat will remain ÔÁhir.
133. If the phlegm which is produced by the nose or the throat contains blood, the portion that contains blood is najis, while the rest is ÔÁhir. Hence, if the phlegm comes out of the mouth or nose, the parts which a person is certain have come in contact with the najis part of the phlegm, will be najis, and the parts which he doubts have come in contact with it will remain ÔÁhir.
134. If a ewer or a vessel with a hole in its bottom is placed on najis ground, and its water ceases to flow, allowing water to collect under it, till it is considered as one with the water inside the vessel, the water in the vessel will become najis. However, if the water inside the vessel continues to flow forcefully, it will not become najis.
135. If a thing enters the human body and comes in contact with najÁsah, in the event that upon exiting the body, it does not contain the najÁsah, it is ÔÁhir. Hence, if the apparatus of enema, or its water, is inserted in one's rectum, or a needle, knife, or any similar thing, is inserted into the body and contains no trace of najÁsah when it is taken out, it is not najis. Same is the case with saliva and mucus of the nose, if it contacts blood within the body, but contains no trace of blood when it comes out of the body.
136. It is forbidden to make the script or the pages of the Qur’an najis if it results in violating its sanctity. If it does become najis, it is obligatory to wash it immediately. The same ruling applies even if it does not result in the violation of its sanctity, based on obligatory precaution.
137. If the cover of the Qur'an becomes najis, causing its desecration, it must be washed with water.
138. Placing the Qur’an on ayn al-najÁsah which is dry, is forbidden if doing so results in its desecration. It is also obligatory to remove it in this case.
139. Writing the Qur'an with najis ink, even one letter of it, amounts to making it najis. If written, it should be erased or washed off.
140. If giving the Qur'an to a kÁfir involves its desecration, it is forbidden to give it to him, and it is obligatory to take it back from him.
141. If a page of the Qur’an or any sacred object—like a paper on which the name of Allah, the holy prophet or the infallibles (Peace be upon them all) is written—falls in a lavatory, it is obligatory to take it out and wash it, even if it entails an expenditure.
However, if taking it out is not possible, the lavatory should not be used until one is certain that the paper has decomposed. Similarly, if turbat al-Íusayn (the sacred soil around the grave of Imam al-Íusayn –Peace be upon him-) falls into the lavatory, and it is not possible to take it out, the lavatory should not be used as long as one is not sure that it has completely decomposed.
142. It is forbidden to eat or drink an item which is essentially najis or has become najis. It is also forbidden to make others eat or drink the same. However, one may give the item which has become najis to a child, or an insane person. If a child or an insane person eats or drinks a najis thing on his own accord, or makes food najis with his najis hands before consuming it, it is not necessary to stop him from doing so.
143. There is no objection in selling or lending a najis thing which can be made ÔÁhir; however, the buyer or the borrower must be informed about it if he may eat or drink from it, or do something in which ÔahÁrah is stipulated.
144. If a person sees someone eating or drinking something najis, or praying with a najis dress, it is not necessary for him to inform the other person.
145. If an area or a carpet in a person's house is najis, and he sees the wet body or dress of a visitor touching the najis area, he has to inform the visitor about it if he himself has been the cause of the najÁsah, and the najÁsah may be transmitted to foods and beverages.
146. If the host comes to know during the meal, that the food is najis, he should inform the guests about it. If one of the guests becomes aware of it, it is not necessary for him to inform others about it. However, if his dealings with the other guests are such, that on account of them being najis, he too may end up eating or drinking something najis, he should inform them of it after the meal.
147. If a borrowed item becomes najis, and the owner uses the item for eating or drinking—a utensil, for example—then it is obligatory to inform him of its najÁsah. However, if it is something like a dress, he does not have to inform the owner of its najÁsah, even if he knows that the owner prays in it. In the event that the owner would like to pray with clothes which are genuinely ÔÁhir, based on obligatory precaution, he should inform the owner of its najÁsah.
148. If a child says that a thing is najis, or that he has washed it, his word cannot be accepted. However, if he is a discerning child and claims that he washed something, his word can be accepted if he is trustworthy and there is no strong reason to assume otherwise. The same applies if he claims that an item is najis.
149. Twelve things can make najis things ÔÁhir, and they are known as muÔahhirÁt. These are:
1. water
2. earth
3. sun
4. istiÎÁlah
5. inqilÁb
6. intiqÁl
7. Islam
8. subjection
9. removal of the ayn al-najÁsah
10. the istibrÁÞ of an animal that consumes najÁsah
11. the disappearance of a Muslim
12. release of a normal amount of blood
The detailed rulings for each of these will be explained below.
